MONTHLY DRAWING CHALLENGE

March Challenge

Folds and Textures

For this month's challenge it's back to organic forms! The challenge is to create a painting using folds of different fabric as your inspiration. While fabric has an organic, free flowing feeling there is still a structure to these shapes. Your job this month is to practice creating the texture of fabric with your pastels and interpreting the folding, twisting fabric form. The painting can be as representational or as abstract as you like.

The Set Up:

Select 2 to 3 different fabrics to use as your painting reference. They can be simple subjects that you find around your home like scarves, tablecloths, clothing items, etc. Find objects that contrast greatly with each other, (burlap, silk, suede…). Drape, fold, or hang your fabrics in an interesting arrangement. Use a strong light source to help reveal the value changes as the fold curves around. As in our past challenges, please work from life!

Pastel is the perfect medium for showing textural qualities. Learning to interpret and represent these differences in surface texture will help you when painting all genres of subject matter.

I hope you enjoy the challenge and please send your results by March 31 to: